Maybe Tomorrow
by JustDreamingOutLoud
Summary: After setting forth some strict new rules in an effort to exhaust and break Danny's spirit during their trek, the boy's coping methods cause Tom to start seeing the boy in a whole new light. But he's not the only one. Tom/Danny. Slash. Oneshot. Complete.


Title: Maybe Tomorrow

By: JustDreamingOutLoud (JDOL)

Fandom: Revolution

Pairing: Tom Neville/Danny Matheson

Rating: M

Summery: After setting forth some strict new rules in an effort to exhaust and break Danny's spirit during their trek, the boy's coping methods cause Tom to start seeing the boy in a whole new light. But he's not the only one. Tom/Danny. Oneshot. Complete.

Disclaimer: The author, _JustDreamingOutLoud_, does not claim right to ownership or involvement in _Revolution_ in any way shape or form. Nor are they making any profit from this story. It is purely for the entertainment purposes both of the reader and the writer. A work of complete and utter FanFiction.

_Warning: Slash. Sexual situations. Language._

* * *

There weren't many deeds that Tom Neville had ever felt remorse over. And kidnapping Danny Matheson certainly wasn't one of them.

A length of rope bound around Danny's wrists tied him to the back of the wagon, and as Tom watched the boy from atop his horse, dragging his feet in the dirt of the road, he felt only satisfaction. Nothing was better than a plan coming to fruition just like he had planned it to.

The boy had only enough strength to continue putting one foot in front of the other. His usual inquisitive glances were gone, replaced with a downward, half-lidded gaze that focused only on the path directly in font of his own feet. Four days ago, after another of Danny's failed escape attempts, Tom had decided that the boy had far too much time and energy to put into devising plans and plotting how to run away. Now, Danny only recieved half the rations he did previously, and was forced to walk whenever they were travelling slow enough for him to keep up. And the spirited boy was slowly but surely breaking. He fell asleep straight away every night, conserved all his energy for the journey he knew he had to undertake the next day, and played nice so he wasn't denied the already small amount of sustenance he was given. Tom was already reaping the benefits; his mind wasn't always so preoccupied with keeping one eye on the boy in case he tried something, and was able to focus on other things. It was a victory _and_ a load-off.

Presently, Danny was looking like he couldn't walk much further. His hair was dark with sweat and his feet were beginning to catch on rocks embedded in the road, making him stumble and his wrists to be unrelentingly jerked forward.

Tom tapped his heels against his horse's sides, urging it into a trot. They may as well make camp for the night, he decided; even he was tired from the unusual number of hours of road they'd covered, and he was riding a horse. Danny must be exhausted. Good.

After finding an appropriate place to set up camp they cooked and had their dinner of stew, which contained more potato than anything else, and Danny got his portion, which was much too small for a boy his size. With the boy too tired to try anything, Tom left him under the supervision of two of his soldiers and grouped together some of the others to discuss their course of action for tomorrow. Tom was beyond sick of sleeping on the ground and bathing in streams, but even the temptation of a soft bed and a proper bath wasn't enough for him to sacrifice a whole half a day of travelling to go out of their way to stay at a Militia camp. But the morale of his soldiers was dampening- he could see it in their eyes, and things were otherwise going _so_ very smoothly.

Tom walked out of the tent after an hour of talk, content with their progress both past and planned. He headed for his own tent and the patch of ground that would serve as his bed for the night, but, on a whim, decided to check on their prisoner before he turned in. Danny was to be manacled to the closest tree to camp and a tent set up beside it in which at least one man is to keep watch over him while at least one other sleeps. Danny had proven to be docile enough while under Tom's new rules, but by no means did that make Tom think even for a second on letting up on his security. Danny was just too important.

But as Tom approached it was to find the tree face void of the blond teenager. That wasn't enough for him to start panicking, though, because Danny was allowed to be untied and led to the bathroom if he so needed it, and there was only one soldier to be seen through the door of the tent and he was wide awake.

The man noticed him and immediately exited the tent. "Sir," he acknowledged briskly.

"Where's the other guard and the boy?" Tom asked, straight to the point. He had no need for formalities when he didn't desire to use them among his men, especially in a case where Danny wasn't where he thought him to be.

Tom could see the man's face lose some of its colour. "Mark took him to the bathroom a few minutes ago," he said quickly.

"You're supposed to accompany each other in situations like that," Tom said firmly. "Remember?"

"Yes, sir! It's just that Mark assured me that he had the situation under control and I'm-"

With a simple narrowing of Tom's eyes the man cut himself off mid-sentence.

"You'd better believe that we'll be having a _good_ talk about this later, but for now drop the pathetic excuses and see that it _doesn't_ happen again," he ground out and watched the man nod profusely before Tom turned into the thick trees to find his soldier and the boy.

The hole the men dug at each of their camps for use of a latrine was probably the worst thing about camping. It reeked so badly that they dug it a good distance from where they slept. But Tom hadn't even made it halfway before he found what he was looking for: Danny's upper arms were still bound together behind his back, just above his elbows, and that alone relieved Tom of any worry about the boy having escaped. And there was the guard, too, so all was fine. Except that the solder was leaning against a tree and Danny was kneeling in front of him. Tom froze.

The man threw his head back against the tree and pushed one of his hands through Danny's hair. Quiet, restrained sounds of pleasure filled the air, all of which were coming from the soldier- and Danny wasn't resisting. In fact, he was moving his head of his own accord, or so it appeared form the solder's slack arm. Danny flexed his hands open and closed behind his back where they were restrained, but that was the majority of what Tom could see, being directly behind the boy. But Danny's apparent willingness was patent, and that was the only reason Tom was taking so long to decide what to do with this situation. He wouldn't stand for rape under his watch or command, but he had seen rape before and this didn't look anything like it. At least now he understood why Mark hadn't wanted the company of his fellow guard.

Tom still didn't like it, but he couldn't find a reason to put an end to the...whatever this was. It might even be in Tom's favour. Hell itself knew he'd seen the opportunity in situations even more inappropriate than this. Slowly rationalising the situation to himself, Tom took a few silent steps to the side so he could attempt to see Danny's face. His expressions.

The soldier groaned lowly and the two were still for a moment before he slid down the tree, and only then did Danny fall back into a slouched sitting position. Both were panting shallowly, for very different reasons.

"Here," Mark said breathlessly, pulling something out of a bag nearby and opening it. He proceeded to hand feed Danny whatever it was that he'd brought for him. Danny ate it straight from the man's fingers and the soldier smiled contentedly as he watched him.

"Eat it quickly," the man hurried. Danny said nothing but complied and the food was disappearing quicker. "I've been thinking about what we talked about before. About- you know- what you'd do for your freedom. I've asked some questions and I think I can pull it off."

Tom stiffened and made sure the tree he was standing behind was concealing him fully. With all the food gone, the man tipped a canteen of water against the boy's mouth, holding it up until he was finished drinking. After screwing the cap back on and placing the canteen back in his bag, Mark sat forward and started to slide his arms around Danny's torso only to have the boy pull back.

"What do you want in return?" Danny asked quietly, talking for the first time.

"You know what I want: all of you," Mark whispered, making Tom strain to hear him. "The one thing you haven't let me do. And then once you're well and truly gone I'll come find you."

"When?" Danny asked fervently. "When will you do it?"

"Next time we make camp. Maybe. As soon as possible, anyway."

Danny nodded and wriggled forward a little on his backside. "All right then."

"We've run out of time tonight, though. We've got to get back to camp."

Having heard enough, Tom clenched his fists and while his soldier helped Danny to his feet Tom silently made his way back to camp and woke up several of his men.

By the time the scheming duo got back to camp there was a small gathering of men around the tree Danny was supposed to be tied to.

"Have a nice time in the woods?" Tom asked them airily.

Mark gaped for a moment before gathering his wits and answering quickly, "I was just taking the prisoner to the toilet."

One of the men scowled at Mark in disgust. "I though it was strange that you always volunteered for first watch of the boy," he spat gravelly.

"W-what?" Mark stammered flatly as his eyes widened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't even bother," Tom said. "I saw you, and more importantly, I _heard_ you. I'm very disappointed, Mark."

"No! You've got it all wrong! I-I was just _lying_ to him! I wasn't actually going to help him escape! I just said it to get him to do what I wanted!" Mark insisted, taking a hastened step away from Danny, who merely stood there.

Another of the men crossed his arms. "Then why were you asking me so many questions earlier today? Most significantly about the security at the Militia camp we've been talking about heading to, and Texas? That kind of information would be seriously helpful to anyone thinking about trying to free the brat."

"I swear I wouldn't _do_ that!" Mark exclaimed loudly, probably waking up more of the Militia group with the raise in the volume of his voice.

"Not that I have any doubt in the fact that that's a pile of bull crap the size of Everest, but this is ultimately for Monroe to decide," Tom said dismissively. "Tie him up. And tie _him_," he jerked his chin at Danny, "up too. From here on out we have two prisoners."

"Wait!" Danny said, suddenly taking a step toward Tom and squaring his shoulders defiantly as best he could with his arms tied behind his back. "It's true, he was just lying to me. I knew he wouldn't do it."

Having been walking away, Tom paused and looked over his shoulder at Danny, who gazed at him pleadingly. The boy was obviously lying, and he must know that he wasn't fooling anyone, so why did he even bother? Tom ignored him and made his way back to his tent, confident that the five or so men he'd woken up could handle an exhausted teenager and one terrified soldier.

-~X~-

All afternoon Tom had been watching his men gossip like housewives. Mark was tied up and sitting in the wagon as it bumped along the dirt road, the source of much humour and disgust among the soldiers. It hadn't taken long for the story of Tom finding the two current prisoners engaged in a sexual act in the forest to circulate the entire group of men, and just like Mark, Danny was the source of the men's humour. They would slap his backside as they passed him, whisper dirty things in the boy's ear that made him cringe, or vex him openly, laughing at him all the while. But Danny ignored them well and focused on not lagging behind, in which case he would be dragged by the arms behind the wagon.

Mark's face was black and blue from the beating a couple of the men had given him after tying him up last night. The men were disgusted in the soldier's traitorous actions, rather than the fact he was garnering sexual favours from the prisoner, though undoubtedly he got a few hits for that, too. Not only had Mark been planning on helping Danny escape, but he'd been undermining Tom's strict guidelines when it came to the boy's portion controlling. So the bruises offered Tom a small amount of grim satisfaction. Mark didn't struggle against his bonds, nor did he try to plead his case any more. He just sat there, his body rocking along with the movements of the wagon, his head hung low.

They stopped that afternoon for a break at a stream. It wasn't very deep but served well enough for filling their canteens up with the cool water and washing faces and hands.

After letting his horse drink from the stream, Tom led it to a grassy patch and tied it loosely to a tree branch low enough so it could graze. On his way back to the stream he saw something surprising. Danny was standing just before the water, looking tired and disheartened and slowly peeling off his shirt. There was a throng of soldiers standing back with their arms crossed, sniggering and giving him demands like, "we don't got all day, sunshine," and "don't forget to wash behind your ears, princess."  
With his shirt bunched up under his arms, Danny sent a pleading look back at the men, but they didn't let up, one even feinting an aggressive lunge at him, threatening him into cooperation. They all laughed when he flinched and quickly continued stripping, dropping the articles of shabby clothing on the bank of the softly running stream until he was down to his underwear.

Tom sat down on a big rock nearby, watching the spectacle, and once the men noticed he wasn't stopping their taunting they took it up a notch: "don't forget the skivvies, too."

Danny flushed darkly but the glare of defiance that was expected from him didn't show itself. Instead he merely obliged, pushing down his underwear before stepping into the water. It soon became apparent that the water would only come up to Danny's thighs at the deepest. The boy kept his gaze down, but the resignation and defeat on his face was still clear to Tom, and it was a conflicting sight if there ever was one for the man.

Ducking down, Danny started to clean himself as best he could without any soap or shampoo. The men standing by the curving stream snickered among themselves, laughing at each other's jokes regarding the boy being forced to bathe naked in front of them. Leaning back, Tom tilted his head, effectively relieving the crick in his neck, but he never stopped watching the boy. There was some sort of strangely pleasing visual aspect Danny was constructing with his body against the lucid water. The still warm, late afternoon sun was reflecting off the waters' surface to glint along his damp body almost playfully. Even Tom could deduce the beauty there. Saying it aloud was another matter entirely, though.

The men all watched Danny until the boy was finished, or at least until he thought it was safe to finish, and swiftly (if not clumsily with exertion) grabbed his clothes and pulled them on. The men scattered and two automatically took Danny over to the shade of a tree and sat down with him, both keeping a strict watch over the boy. But Danny merely laid himself down on the thick grass and closed his eyes. Tom was tempted to order the men to make sure Danny didn't rest, but, seeing as the boy was practically passed out on the grass he decided it would do no good for him to be doing the same while they were travelling. So he left it be and found a shady tree nearby to sit under himself.

-~X~-

It took another full day of hot sun and endless roads to reach the Militia camp, and the relief among the men was like a suffocatingly warm blanket being lifted from one's back. Unlike others this camp was a permanent fixture beneath the shade of a small mountain, camouflaged by tall trees and sharp outcrops, with a surrounding fence the height of a man and constructed of thin tree trunks thrust into the rich soil.

Long ago, when Tom had been but a boy, his father had taken him out to his hunting cabin in the woods. Even to this day he could still look back on those memories fondly. He had taken the life of his first prey out there, among the trees and the wild, experienced the weight of a gun and the power of a kill, and had felt more alive than he would for many years to come. Now, the cluster of hunting cabins that the Militia used as a camp felt more like coming home than anywhere else in the world probably would for Tom.

The small group of soldiers that manned the camp came up to greet them, tend to their horses, and offer nutriment. Most of Tom's men, however, were more interested in resting than anything else, and immediately after Tom's dismissal disjointed to do just that. Danny and Mark were passed over to the fresh soldiers stationed at the camp for supervision but Tom made it explicitly clear to them that failure to keep an eye on the boy in particular was _not_ an option and would bring about _hefty_ repercussions.

One of the men showed Tom to a vacant cabin where a bed was already made up and a relatively hot bath was drawn just for him. The bathtub was wooden and looked like an oversized barrel but that was hardly anything unusual. The water was clean and definitely not freezing cold (unlike all the other baths he'd had for god only knows how long) and the sight made Tom grateful that he'd thought to send ahead a scout to let the camp know who was coming.

As soon as the soldier was gone Tom yanked off all his clothing and stepped into the bath, the water coming up to about where it would in a regular bathtub. Once he was seated he found that the water smelled not much like fresh water but things like lemon and coconut, and looked misty. But they was all just signs that additional liquids had been poured into the water in the stead of an old luxury like soap. There were plenty of natural cleansers in the world.

Although there was hardly much dirt or grime to scrub off Tom still took his time washing away the tension and stress of his long, long mission that, for now, he denied wasn't quite yet finished. Strangely enough, while he was there, lounging in the borderline hot water, Tom found his thoughts drifting to the afternoon at the stream when his men had forced Danny to strip and bathe in the shallow waters in front of them. Of course, the only way such a spectacle had happened in the first place was because of the boy's own actions, or rather that he'd been _caught_ in said act. If he had not been giving sexual favours to one of Tom's men the rest of them wouldn't have started seeing him as an object of sexual humour. But the striking image of Danny in the water was burned into the dark world of Tom's mind, regardless of how it came to be, and he couldn't help but see it every so often when he closed his eyes for too long.

By the time Tom had climbed out of the bath and donned a fresh new uniform the sun was beginning to set. He sat on his bed and considered an early night, only to be denied that indulgence when firm knocks sounded on his door.

"Come in."

Two soldiers entered, ones not under Tom's direct station but still below him in command, dragging Danny between them. The men looked angry and one was sporting a blooming bruise on his left cheek.

"Your prisoner attacked us," said the bruised one darkly, adding a "sir," only as an afterthought.

Tom rose an eyebrow at them, then dropped his gaze until it landed on Danny's sullen face. "Did he now?"

"Yes, sir. We don't have anywhere suitable to keep him locked up. You indicated that he was important, so we thought we'd come ask you what you think we should do with him."

"I see," Tom said, nodding approvingly. "Well we've just been tying him to a tree of a night," he said casually, inwardly smiling at the boy's flinch.

"Did- did you want us to do that, then?"

"I suppose so, yes, if he can't be trusted to be civil."

Danny's head whipped up and he opened his mouth to say something but hesitated a beat. "Please, don't," he finally begged, pausing to swallow. "Please. My arms ache and I'm...so tired."

Tom shrugged slowly, making a show of it. "Well you _were_ given a chance-"

"No!" Danny cut him off. "These men were going to-"

One of the men discreetly jabbed Danny in the ribs with his elbow, effectively putting an end to the growing volume of his voice and making him groan in pain. "You attacked us for no reason!" he spat. "Trying to escape, no doubt!"

"We'll find a nice tree to tie him to, sir, and we'll make sure no wolves come by for a midnight snack," said the other soldier.

They both shifted to move but Tom stood up, stopping them. "No, I think I'll watch the boy tonight myself. You just make sure to keep an eye on the other prisoner."

The men, looking a tad anxious and plenty eager to leave, agreed, dropped Danny into a heap on the wood floor and left. The boy sat there for a moment before he reluctantly looked up at Tom, who was watching him with crossed arms. Tom tsked.

"Strip."

Danny's blue eyes widened further than Tom had ever seen from him before and he shrank in on himself.

Rolling his eyes, Tom walked further into the room to take a seat on a high-backed chair close by the tub, which he gestured towards lazily. "You need a proper bath. You smell pretty awful. It still should be relatively warm."

Relaxing somewhat, Danny slowly got to his feet. "I wasn't lying, you know," he said. "They really were going to...hurt me. The others told them about what happened with Mark when they asked, and they all laughed about it. They thought that because they aren't your men that they could hurt me and get away with it."

"They could have," Tom agreed, to which Danny didn't look surprised.

"I guess they didn't think there was anyone else who might oppose the idea, though. I punched one guy and kicked the other between the legs. They didn't like that. They were expecting you to order me strung up or something, which they'd take as their own sick form of punishment, I guess. But they lied, I wasn't trying to escape and I certainly wasn't unprovoked," the boy said.

Danny reached the edge of the tub and looked into the water, reaching out a hand which owned a red-ringed wrist to test the temperature.

"Get in, before it goes cold."

"Do you believe me?"

Tom sighed and said nothing, but inwardly he wasn't sure. Perhaps Danny picked up on that because he started to pull his clothing off, and once his shirt was on the ground Tom could see the flesh of his torso and the mottle of bruises and lines of red that hadn't been there two days ago. That day at the stream Danny's body had been mostly clear of injuries besides the few that Tom had given him himself and others that were from routine and mundane in nature. These, on the other hand, were fresh. Danny dropped his slacks and his underwear and Tom could clearly make out a bruise shaped like a finger-heavy hand print on his hip.

"They haven't left me alone since Mark," Danny said quietly, as if he didn't want to be speaking about this aloud at all. "If it's not verbal it's shoving or slapping or trying to force me into things I don't want to do."

Tom snapped out of his trance after Danny's last words and leaned back in his chair. "Maybe you should've thought about that before you whored yourself out for some food," he commented.

"I didn't!" Danny snapped back angrily, only to blink and pull back into himself meekly. "I... It's not like I _hated_ what I did with Mark, and I needed the food and water since you stopped giving me what was already too little. I know what you had in mind when you started doing that, by the way; to break me until I became dependent on you, until I came grovelling."

It wasn't exactly Tom's plan, but he didn't correct him. Danny stood there, stark naked, the only thing covering him his bruises and blemishes and old scabs, with his hands clutching the rim of the makeshift bathtub and his chin almost touching his chest.

"Before you say any more I need you to get your ass into that water before it cools down," Tom said pointedly, his tone light and even. He could sense a change in the air, and he wasn't about to provoke it to blow the other way and ruin whatever point Danny was getting to, if any.

The boy obeyed without looking at him. He stepped into the tub and sat down, immediately reaching for a square of damp material that had been sloshed over the rim. He was quiet for a small amount of time before he suddenly piped back up again, but his gaze remained on the hazy water between his knees.

"I think you've achieved your goal," he said quietly, almost too hushed for Tom to hear, but hear it he did.

"Achieved what goal, Danny?" Tom asked softly.

"The goal that I am. My...compliance." He sighed loudly, his breath forming soft ripples on the surface of the bathwater.

Tom narrowed his eyes in thought. "You think that just by telling me that I've gained your compliance that I will retract my orders? That you'll get to sleep comfortably again, ride in the wagon and eat better? Surely you don't think I'm such a foolish pushover?"

"No," Danny said without hesitation. "I don't think you'll agree to it without getting something else in return as well."

"And what do you think I want more than your cooperation?"

Danny's blue eyes flicked up from the water and connected with Tom's briefly before dropping back down. "Whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?" Tom repeated, disbelieving. "That could mean a few different things, you know. I'm starting to understand how you got into such a compromising situation with one of my men."

"I mean it. Whatever you want." He shrugged and turned his head even further away from Tom, focusing on the other side of the room instead. "But you have to stop your men from harassing me. And I get everything back. No more walking all day, no more scraps of food and sips of water, and most of all no more tying me to a tree to sleep."

"Look at me," Tom demanded and was surprised when Danny obeyed straight away without him having to repeat himself. "What makes you think your 'whatever I want' is unobtainable right now? You're right here, as naked as the day you were born, in my room. Why would I need to bargain with you for your body if I so wanted it?"

"Because if you wanted to force me you would've done so already. I don't think you get off on rape. And not only would I be...doing _that_, but I'd stop trying to run away. I wouldn't be so rebellious all the time, which takes away the need to starve and tire me into exhaustion every day. If I go back on my word- which I won't- then you simply reinstate the rules."

In all honesty, Tom would have had a talk to his men the next morning regardless of any 'bargain' the boy might have offered him; they were being too rough and the chance of serious injury to the boy wasn't something Tom wanted to risk; and Danny was right, rape wasn't something Tom enjoyed. He had not only a wife but a son, and the horrific thought of either of them being abused as such made sure it wasn't something he tolerated.

When Tom didn't offer any reply Danny looked up at him questioningly, his powder blue eyes shining in the dimness of the room, making Tom's mind up for him.

"I'm scared," Danny admitted in a rush, his eyes shifting over Tom's face. "I'm scared of being forced by one or more of your men- of their violence. And I'm so _tired_."

"You do realise that I will not release you, for anything, don't you?"

Danny nodded, his expression staying the same. "I never entertained the idea."

Scratching the temple of his head Tom exhaled a breath of silent laughter and shook his head a few times at the far-fetched situation. The idea of taking sexual favours from a prisoner or a soldier training under him- someone in a vulnerable position- had never even occurred to Tom before; it was too close to rape for his liking and Tom wasn't a man ruled by his own libido. But here was a fine young man, uncommonly fair and kindly spirited, offering himself up on a silver platter. There was, of course, the obvious drawbacks, such as the fact Danny was not of the female variety, he would be betraying his beloved wife, and it would be fraternising with the enemy- because if you weren't with the Republic you were against it. But right at that moment Tom felt so in_ control_ of the situation. He felt so_ powerful_, just like when he was just a boy and he'd cornered a healthy young deer against a wall of sheer rock. Its pathetic life was in his hands as he took aim with his father's rifle and thumbed off the safety.

When Tom looked back at Danny and noticed the boy had stopped washing himself, he nodded at him. "Then...wash your hair," he grumbled.

It wasn't a clear, simple answer, but Danny wasn't a simple boy. His whole posture changed instantly. He sat up straighter and his muscles tensed while his expression opened up like a vulnerable, delicate flower. But then he quickly ducked his head down and wet his hair while running de-tangling fingers through it.

With the conversation at its end, Tom swept to his feet and moved to one of his bags to fish out the small jar of coconut oil he carried. Coconut oil was not only fine for cooking, but was also good for minor cuts and scraps (to keep out dust, dirt, and infection), sunscreen, treating dry skin, fungal infections, lip balm, hair conditioner (which his wife, Julie, informed him of), and most impressively contains antibacterial properties that can be quite beneficial. Taking it back with him he opened it before setting it on the small end-table pushed up against the side of the armchair and sank back into said chair. Tom watched the boy closely as he shifted and moved, his muscles working under his skin, flickering like eyelids over dreaming eyes. Handfuls of misty water were smoothed over his head and rivulets ran down his body, some of it disappearing into stationary beads along the sweep of his back. The older man repressed a shudder but felt it ripple throughout his body anyway.

"I'm finished," Danny announced gently, his voice barely above a whisper.

Without moving otherwise Tom beckoned the boy over with his hand. Danny complied, cautiously climbing out of the tub and moving towards Tom until he stopped the motion and grasped the boy's wrist instead. Danny didn't resist, not even when Tom pulled him onto his lap. Once they were touching Tom could feel the trembling that wracked the boy's body; even his thighs were shaking, but no goosebumps broke out. So he was nervous. Tom could live with that.

Danny sat there, knees astride Tom's thighs, dripping wet, trembling, nervous, and with his hands on the arms of the armchair, unmoving. But that was fine for Tom because all he wanted to do right now was touch. With one hand already on the boy's side, his other skimmed up to Danny's face and gently explored the smooth skin there, across the jaw, up a cheek, over a forehead, then back down and through damply dark hair to the back of his head. The strands were so clean and slippery that his fingers slid through them with previously unattainable ease. Dripping water from the boy's wet skin was starting to seep through Tom's uniform but he ignored it; water would dry quickly enough. Danny, however, was squirming in his lap right now, his eyelashes fluttering unconsciously as Tom's hands slid down his back and across his backside, never quite managing to be firm or consistent. Tom leaned forward and ghosted his lips against the boy's neck, inhaling his clean, damp scent and letting his hands linger against such softness. He could feel Danny becoming restless from the intimate, light touching, the trembling growing stronger and his wriggling more insistent, and as Tom pulled his head back he could hear the boy's deeper breathing.

With his eyes travelling over Danny it came as a surprise when the boy tried to kiss him. Danny only got as far as initially pressing their mouths together before Tom bit his lip aggressively and Danny jerked back, shooting Tom a confused look and raising a hand to his lip. Tom offered no variety of explanation but instead brushed a hand across Danny's exposed groin, feeling a growing hardness there, and effectively distracting the boy long enough for Tom to dip his fingers into the coconut oil and part his own legs so he could reach behind and underneath Danny. The boy gasped and arched his back against the sensations Tom's fingers were eliciting, the pressure he was finally applying.

"I-..." Danny murmured, the boy's face obscured from view beside Tom's own. "I've never done-" a whimper that never quite made it past being strangled, "never done this before."

The sudden recollection of Mark expressing his desire to do this very thing flashed in Tom's mind's eye and it occurred to him that Danny was giving Tom more than he had Mark. Danny was giving him something he was only willing to trade for his freedom with anyone else. The boy truly was giving him everything, and it made Tom feel powerful and _pleased_ that this was how it was. Tom pushed his forehead against the drying skin of the boy's shoulder, feeling his flinches and trembles as he added another finger to his mensurations. There were more gasps and a few winces, and one of Danny's hands briefly came into contact with Tom's shoulder before quickly withdrawing.

"You can," Tom breathed simply, feeling the boy shudder immediately afterwards.

Danny's hand cautiously slid up Tom's chest and when Tom rubbed the inside of the boy he reflexively fisted the material with strong fingers and gave a muffled whine from the back of his throat. Adding yet another finger brought forth a low groan of pain, but once the digit was encased Tom could feel the boy's hot breath fanning his hair and not too long afterwards Danny's squirming grew impatient. Tom leaned back from the boy, slowly withdrawing his fingers one by one as he watched Danny panting, his cheeks flushed prettily. Then he grasped Danny's shoulders and encouraged him to turn around, which, dazed, he did, replacing his knees in the same places outside Tom's own legs. With Danny's gaze gone, Tom was free to unzip his own trousers and free his aroused self from its confines with a relieved sigh before coating himself in oil.

Danny's breath was hitching by now and he seemed to be finding it extremely hard to sit still, but finally Tom sloshed more oil between his cheeks and wrapped an arm around Danny's waist to guide him up and back. Hands gripping the arms of the chair with white knuckles, Danny allowed Tom to hover him above his lap while he aligned himself up with the boy, and then, with simple encouragement, silently asked Danny to sit down. There was a startled intake of breath from Danny as Tom's erection pushed at him, but Tom didn't rush the boy, and Danny seemed to recognise such that he had time to adjust. The initial intrusion took the longest and Danny cried out at one point to which Tom shushed him softly against his ear. But once it began it must have been easier for Danny because then he slowly but steadily sank down until he was sitting in Tom's lap, panting, twitching uncontrollably, and still, _still_ trembling. Julia hadn't reacted this way since the very beginnings of their relationship, and even then, not to this extent.

Even motionless, Danny was undeniably arousing, and Tom took a moment to collect himself. He recovered much quicker than Danny, who was only shifting slightly, experimenting. Tom was too preoccupied to care, both with the throbbing pleasure he was already receiving and the particularly long red welt of a wound that ran up the length of Danny's back that even he was having trouble inferring the possible origins of. Tom thought it was gorgeous; its mystery only adding to its allure. With one of his arms still firmly wrapped around Danny, allowing the boy to move freely for now, Tom lifted his free hand and traced the raised wound with his fingertips. But an especially pleasurable roll of Danny's hips tore his attention away and Tom held back a groan that was about to slip past his teeth, which he clenched as he gripped Danny's hips and pulled him down into his lap. Gasping, Danny scrabbled for purchase on the arms of the chair. But before Danny could regain his (scant) composure Tom was using his hips and his hands at the boy's own to draw him up and bring him back down again, and Danny was trying to keep up. A slow but consistent rhythm was born and Danny used his legs and his arms to assist his movements, while Tom didn't have to do much at all.

Tom pushed his legs apart as far as he could with Danny's calves and knees taking up the room on the large armchair seat, which in turn forced Danny's legs to open wider than his own. With no trepidation, only the same confidence with which he did everything else, Tom reached around the boy and took a hold of his smaller (but only by personal comparison) erection, finding it pressed against the boy's lower belly wantonly. Danny had been moaning softly before, with only the most persistent vocalisations managing to squeeze past his toothsome lips, but with the additional contact to such a sensitive area he let loose a ferocious groan, arching his back again so his shoulders touched Tom's. Their rhythm faltered momentarily before Danny picked it back up again, the movement allowing Tom's hand to slid over Danny's heated skin tightly. While they moved together Tom leaned forward to mouth a fold of skin at the curve of Danny's neck into his mouth, to pinch with his teeth and suck on, eliciting gasps and small noises from the boy. With so much stimuli Danny was soon tensing up, his noises coming in more frequent and louder until he reached out to grip the forearm of the hand Tom was using to massage Danny's heat with. Knowing the boy was close, Tom thrust his hips up to meet Danny's descent a little harshly and the boy cried out and popped like a water balloon. The boy's orgasm was stimulating for Tom, too, who felt the muscles inside of Danny contract around him, and took an absurd amount of pleasure from his cry of pain and bliss. It felt like electricity creeping along his skin.

Warmth dribbled down Tom's hand and he looked at the rest of it painted across Danny's stomach as the blond melted limply against Tom's chest, panting. Seeing that the boy was spent, Tom made to stand up, his movements catching Danny by surprise and forcing the boy to stand up as well. Parted, Tom steered Danny on wobbly legs to the bed and pushed him onto it. The boy's back hit the thin mattress and he bounced once before settling and looking up at Tom questioningly. Although Tom found himself wanting to stop and stare at the picture the boy made sprawled out on _his_ bed, naked and with his own mess splashed over his torso, it also served to fuel the throb that resonated from his groin to tug at every nerve and every strand of willpower he possessed. Tom dropped down over Danny, brushing his erection against the soft skin underneath him as he moved up his body until he was face to face with blue-eyed splendour.

Somehow more confident now, Danny lifted a hand up to the side of Tom's face where it feathered light touches, his fingertips probing and his palm caressing gently. If Tom were forced to categorise Danny's expression at that moment he might have used words like curiosity, sorrow, and resignation. Then Danny wrapped his legs around Tom's hips and the older man took the invitation, plunging back into the boy with one swift thrust. He was so engrossed with the pleasure it brought him that Tom barely even noticed when Danny circled his arms around his neck and pressed his face against the shallow of Tom's clothed shoulder, muffling his own reaction. Danny whimpered and moaned, the sounds softened by the cloth he pressed his sweet mouth against, and Tom grunted quietly.

Each thrust pushed Danny into the mattress, and each time the boy's arms and legs twitched and tightened. Tom could smell Danny's sweat, could feel his hot breath through the material over the crook of his shoulder. The sheer heat of it all was overwhelming. Deep, burning heat pooled and pleasure built until Tom erupted inside Danny, who bit his uniform shirt between his teeth as it happened before collapsing back onto the mattress while Tom slowly pulled out and moved back off the bed, impatiently waiting for his head to clear and his vision to cease it's blurred quality. He gazed at Danny as the boy rolled onto his side, his hair spilling out onto the mattress, mostly dry and fair again, and his eyes fluttered open and closed as his thin chest rose and fell. But then Tom looked down at his uniform and frowned at the specks of seamen smudged across his shirt, undoubtedly rubbed off from Danny's stomach.

Leaving Danny to pull himself together, Tom retrieved the bath cloth, wet it with the (by now cooled) bath water and wiped the small mess away before rinsing the cloth and going back to Danny. The blond was silent and allowed Tom to wipe his torso and between his cheeks clean, the latter earning a ridiculously coy wriggle from the boy- though he appeared to be only dimly grasping onto the world of the awareness. After dropping the cloth into the tub Tom sat on the side of the bed and considered what to do with Danny now he'd had his wicked way with him. Danny peered up at him through the veil of both his lashes and his hair, his eyes burning bright.

"Are you gonna tie me up now?" Danny asked quietly.

Tom smirked at the innuendo that only he most likely picked up on. "Maybe tomorrow, Danny-Boy," he said before he grasped the folded material of his blanket at the foot of the bed and pulled it up as he lay down, not caring when it covered Danny's head completely. Danny crawled up the bed until his head emerged at the top and settled on Tom's second pillow, his eyes boring into him.

"Why not?"

"We both know you don't have it in you to kill me. We learnt that that day in the barn."

Not to mention the level of security in this place would make it impossible for him to escape. But Tom kept that titbit of information to himself; it would be interesting to see what Danny did during the night, since he promised to stop trying to escape.

Seemingly taking some sort of satisfaction from that, Danny shifted forward until he was so close he was almost touching the older man, then lifted himself up enough to hover his face only inches from Tom's. His eyes searched Tom's and Tom knew the boy was asking permission, having been burned the last time he tried to steal a kiss without approval. Tom hesitated to give it all the same; his kisses were for Julia, his wife, and her alone. Kissing the boy seemed unnecessary, and felt more like cheating than the sex did. But that was laughable once Tom thought about it, and he hooked fingers around the back of Danny's silky head and pulled him down for a kiss. Why the boy had wanted a kiss in the first place was beyond Tom's comprehension. The only idea he had was that maybe it made Danny feel less like a whore. But that hardly mattered to Tom as he kissed the boy's full lips fervently, tasting his sweet mouth and claiming that, too. The kisses turned sloppy, lazy, and the strength in Danny's arms gave way from holding him up for so long and he sank back down against the mattress with a sigh.

Even though he was terribly tired himself Tom waited until Danny's breathing evened out and his muscles twitched spasmodically before he firmly told himself inwardly to wake up with the sun and allowed himself to fall asleep as well.

-~X~-

Powder blue eyes slid open to stare at the darker face closed off in blissful slumber. With calculated, careful movements, Danny slipped from under the blanket and padded naked around the bed. There on the floor next to Tom's neat shoes was the man's sword, lying in its sheath, innocently beckoning. Danny moved as slowly as he dared, picked it up, and drew it. Even in the low moonlight streaming in through the window it glistened from a recent sharpening and polish. Gripping the sword that was equally as naked as he was with two hands, he moved to Tom's bedside. The unaware man slept on, probably dreaming all about what he had just done to Danny, as the boy raised the blade to his exposed, vulnerable neck.

He paused.

And drew in a huge, rattling breath.

end.


End file.
